A ventriculostomy is the insertion of a catheter into a ventricle of the brain. They are generally performed to monitor and/or manage intracranial pressure, to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens, and/or to administer medications into the nervous system.
An example of a procedure for performing a ventriculostomy may include creating a burr hole in the skull (e.g., 11 cm above the nasion and 3 cm lateral of the midline), opening the dura, introducing a catheter with a stiffening stylet through the burr hole, and advancing the catheter freehand using external landmarks as a guide. If the procedure is successful, the CSF should flow. If the procedure is unsuccessfully, the catheter must be removed and the procedure attempted again using a modified trajectory. The present invention features an instrument guiding device that may be used to help insert a catheter into the brain ventricle.
Any feature or combination of features described herein are included within the scope of the present invention provided that the features included in any such combination are not mutually inconsistent as will be apparent from the context, this specification, and the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. Additional advantages and aspects of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description and claims.